Floor shift mechanism



May 10, 1966 R. c. LYON FLOOR SHIFT MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May a, 1963 RN i W W 6 4 L W 7 MM y 0, 1966 R. c. LYON 3,250,143

FLOOR SHIFT MECHANISM Filed May 6, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR B/CHHQD 6. LYON fir TUBA/E Y5.

May 10, 1966 R. c. LYON 3,250,143

FLOOR SHIFT MECHANISM Filed May 6, 1963 -3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. .B/CHHQD C. LY

BY Jamm /QM United States Patent 3,250,143 FLOOR SHIFT MECHANISM Richard C. Lyon, Downey, Calih, assignor to Ansen Automotive Engineering, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed May 6, 1963, Ser. No. 278,168 2 Claims. (Cl. 74473) This invention pertains to gear-shift mechanisms, and more particularly to those that are used in automobiles having three forward speeds and a single reverse speed.

The conventional gear-shift mechanism of this type employs a manually operable shifting handle or lever that is movable through an H pattern, all of the four driven gears being out of engagement whenever the gearshift lever is in the part of the H pattern corresponding to the horizontal bar across the H.

In many such mechanisms, motion from the gear-shift lever is transmitted through intervening structures selectively to one or other of a pair of levers each controlling the selective engagement of a driving gear with one or other of two driven gears; thus, one of these levers is com- 'mon to the low speed and reverse gears, and the other lever is common to the intermediate and high speed forward gears. The instant invention is concerned with the mechanism that connects the manually operable gear-shift lever or handle to one or other of the levers of said pair.

One object of this invention is to produce an improved mechanism of the type described.

An additional object is to provide a mechanism that will be very simple in construction as well as sturdy and unlikely to get out of order.

Another object is to produce a mechanism that may be used as a replacement for other mechanisms of the same general type.

Yet another object is to provide a mechanism having a gear-shift lever extending upward from the floor of an automobile, the design being such that it may readily be installed in place of a gear-shift mechanism attached to the steering column of the car.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of one or more illustrative embodiments of the invention. For this purpose there is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, the embodiment that I presently prefer, together with certain alternative forms of construction. This embodiment and one modification will now be described in detail, in order to illustrate the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a mechanism embodying my invention, the said mechanism being connected to two levers that are standard components in various automobiles;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of FIG.*1 with some of the parts cut away to reveal the construction more clearly;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2, but showing certain of the parts in operative positions that are different from those illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view taken substantially on line 44 of FIG. 1, with the mechanism partly cut away to show the internal construction;

FIG. 5, on the third sheet of the drawings, is a section takenon line 55 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1, but with the various components in different operative positions;

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 each show the same components in still other operative positions; and

, 3,250,143 Patented May 10, 1966 FIG. is an exploded view of the embodiment of my invention that I presently prefer, showing the general relationship and positions of the various components.

' gear selectively into operative engagement, and lever 3 performs the same function with respect to the intermediate and high forward gears.

The lever or gear-shift handle 4 is of the conventional type by means of which the driver of the car selectively moves the levers 2 and 3 by maneuvering the gear-shift handle 4 through the aforementioned H pattern.

Most of the components of the presently preferred embodiment of my invention are carried, either directly or indirectly, upon an inverted U-shaped frame 5 which provides, among other things, a pair of spaced walls 6 and 7 which support an element 8 for both angular and rectilinear motion by journaling this element within suitable bearings which in the present illustrative embodiment are provided by apertures 9 and 10 in the walls 6 and 7 respectively.

The shaft or element 8 has an end projecting beyond the aperture 9. On this projecting end, a pair of levers 11 and 12 are mounted for angular movement. These levers 11 and 12 are operatively connected to the aforementioned levers 3 and 2, respectively, as shown in FIG. 1 and as described hereinafter.

The levers are spaced apart by a hollow shell comprising a tubular member 15 and end walls or plates 13 and 14 fastened to the open ends thereof. This hollow shell surrounds an arm 26 formed integrally with the shaft 8.

The levers 11 and 12 together with the shell 13, 14, 15 are confined against the frame wall 6 by the aid of a bracket 17. As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 10, this bracket has two oppositely extending ears -18 and 19 formed thereon attachable to wall 6 of the frame by means of bolts 20 and 21, (FIG. 1) which respectively pass through apertures 22 and 23 in ears 18 and 19 (FIG.

10) and then into apertures 24 and 25 in the wall 6 of bracket 5.

The central connecting portion 16 of the bracket 17 bears against the outermost lever 12. It will be observed in FIGS. 2 and 3 that the spacing between the plates 13 and 14 is considerably greater than the width across the arm 26. The shaft 8 is thus permitted limited longitudinal movement as determined by engagement of the arm 26 with the end plates 13 and '14 respectively. Two aligned projections 27 and 28 extend outward from opposite sides of the arm 26. These projections may be opposite ends of a pin, the essential requirement being that they are rigid with respect to the arm. These projections are respectively in continuous engagement with apertures in the end plates 13 and 14, and are movable from a flush relationship with the plates to a projected position in ac-.

cordance with the axial position of the shaft 8. When one of the projections is flush, the other is projected. Compare FIGS. 2 and 3. The shell, being coupled to the arm 26 through the projections 27 and 28, angularly moves with it. Recesses 29 and 30 are formed in the levers 12 and 11, respectively, and are so positioned that in certain angular positions of arm 26 and of these two levers the projections and the holes or recesses are in alignment, as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3. In FIG. 2 the projection 28 is extending into the recess or hole 30 in lever 11. In FIG. 3 the arm 26 rests against the side plate 14 of the casing for arm 26, and it will be observed that the pin or projection 28 is no longer within the recess 30, and that the projection 27, which in the previously described position of arm 26 did not project into the opening 29 of lever 12, is now nesting within the recess 29.

Levers 12 and 3 are operatively connected by a link 31 whose opposite ends are .pivotally attached to these two levers, and another link 32 is pivotally connected at its opposite ends to levers 2 and 11 respectively. As lever 12 moves angularly about shaft 8, its angular movement is transmitted to the lever 3, and in like manner the movement of lever 11 is transmitted through link 32 to the lever 2.

The angular movement of these levers originates with the manually movable lever or operating handle 4. This operating lever has an opening 33 extending therethrough from side to side (as shown in FIG. 3), the diameter or maximum distance across this opening 33 being considerably greater than the diameter or maximum distance across element 8. Shaft 8 passes through opening 33 in the operating handle 4. A pin 34 extends through the operating lever 4 from one side to the other, passing through the opening 33 at right angles thereto. As the pin 34 passes through this recess in the operating arm, it of course also passes through the shaft 8. It thus extends through both the operating lever and the translationally and angularly movable member 8. Lever 4 is mounted on the pin 34 and is angularly movable about the pins longitudinal axis. This pin must be integrally attached either to the operating lever or to element 8, it, of course, being immaterial whether the lever rotates around the pin or whether the pin rotates within the shaft 8.

A compression spring 35 surrounds the shaft 8 between the wall 6 of bracket and the gear-shifting handle 4 itself, and the spring expands between this wall and the operating lever, thus forcing the lever 4 and the shaft 8 to a first longitudinal position shown in FIG. 2. Inasmuch as arm 26 is integrally attached to shaft 8, this action of the springalso holds the arm 26 against Wall 13 as shown in FIG. 2, this being the position in which the projection 28 will be aligned With the opening 38 in shaft 11 during appropriate angular positions of arm 25 and the lever 11.

When the operating lever 4 is in the position shown in FIG. 2, it will, of course, be operatively coupled through the shaft 8, the, arm 26, and the pin 28 to the lever 11. Inasmuch as lever 11 is operatively connected to lever 2 by means of link 32, it will be clear that any angular movement of the operating arm 4 around the axis of the shaft 8 will be transmitted to the lever 2. When the levers 2, 3 and 12 are in the angular positions shown in FIG. 1, the projections 27 and 28 will be in longitudinal alignment with the apertures 29 and 30/. This corresponds to the neutral position of the gear-shift mechanism when the lever is positioned so that it will move across the portion of its pattern of movement corresponding to the horizontal bar across the H. However, since spring 35, in the absence of any opposing pressure on the lever 4, holds the shaftS and arm 4 in the positions that retain the projection 28 within recess 30, it will be clear that any movement of the operating lever from the vertical position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 6, will move lever 3 to the operative position shown in FIG. 6. on the other hand, if the operating lever 4 is moved from the vertical position of FIG. 1 (without lateral pressure on the operating handle 4) to the position shown in FIG. 9, the lever 3 will assume the operative position pictured in FIG. 4. This will shift the gears frorn'lc-w to reverse.

If pressure is exerted on the operating handle so that the upper portion'of it moves counterclockwise from the vertical position shown in FIG. 1 to the angular position shown in FIG. 3, it must do so against the pressure of the compression spring 35. The angular movement of lever 4 in this instance will be around two fulcrum points-the one provided by the pin 34, and the other by the rounded end 36 of the operating lever, this lower end of the lever being constrained against any appreciable movement axial- 4 1y of the shaft 8, such constraint being provided by the bracket 37 (FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 10). This bracket, it will be recognized, permits the ball 36 to move arcuately in a plane parallel to the wall 7, but constrains it against other movement.

When the operating arm has moved element 8 and arm 26 to the axial or longitudinal position shown in FIG. 3, the pin 28 of course leaves the recess 38 in lever 11 and the pin 27 simultaneously moves into the recess 29 in lever 12. Pin 27 in this instance acts as a motion-transmitting means between the arm 26 and the lever 12 whenever the operating arm 4 (while in the angular position with respect to pin 24 shown in FIG. 3) is moved either clockwise or counterclockwise around the shaft 8 from the vertical position shown in FIG. 1. If the operating arm 4 is moved clockwise while the projection 27 is in engagement with the shaft 12, this movement will swing the lever 2 from the vertical or neutral position shown in FIG. 1 to the intermediate gear position shown in FIG. 8; and counterclockwise movement of arm 4 will move lever 2 to the high gear position shown in FIG. 7.

It will be observed that the two ends of the projections 27 and 28 are beveled or rounded for easy entrance into the holes 29 and 30 respectively when these holes and projections are not perfectly aligned.

In order properly to position the brackets 5 with respect to the levers 2 and 3, an intermediate bracket 41, (FIGS. 1 and 5), is provided. This bracket is attached to the gear housing 1 by bolts 42 and 43, or by other appropriate means; and the bracket 5 that carries my mechanism is attached to bracket 41 in any suitable manner, as by bolts 44 and 45 (FIG. 4).

It will be understood by those skilled in mechanics that many alterations and modifications may be made in the illustrative embodiments hereinbefore described, and that any of the elements of the claimed combinations may be replaced by other components performing the same or additional functions, and that parts may be rearranged or transposed-all without departing from the broad spirit of my invention as succinctly set forth in the appended claims.

The inventor claims:

1. In a device for selectively moving either of two operating members of a gear shift mechanism from one operative position to another, a combination including: a manually operable elongated control element having a transversely disposed opening therethrough; a rotatable element extending with clearance through said opening; a pin extending through both said control element and said rotatable element transversely of said opening, said pin being rigidly fixed to one of said elements only and pivotally supporting said control element; means constraining the lower end of said control element against movement axially of said rotatable element; a pair of aligned journaling means for said rotatable element and having a fixed spacing therebetween that is materially greater than the distance through the opening in said control element; one end of said rotatable element projecting beyond one of said journ-aling means; a driving arm secured to the projecting end of said rotatable element; a hollow shell enclosing said arm and through which said rotatable eiment is slidable; first and second levers rotatably mounted on said projecting element on opposite sides of said shell; bracket means attached to one of said journaling means confining said levers and said shell against movement axially of said rotatable element; said arm having integral projections extending in an axial direction from opposite sides thereof and located in spaced relationship to the axis of said rotatable element; said shell having apertures for passage of said projections upon axial movement of said rotatable element, at least one of said projections extending through its corresponding shell aperture throughout the range of limited movement of said projections in said shell; each of said levers having a recess therein spaced from the said rotatable element for selective Q gagement by the adjacent projection on said arm; said projections alternately being withdrawn to clear the corresponding lever recess upon alternate movement of said rotatable element; means pivotally linking said levers each to a different one of said operating members; and resilient means for urging said rotatable element to a first axial position in which the recess in said first lever in certain angular positions of said first lever will receive the neighboring projection on said arm; said control element acting when moved axially of said rota-table element against the action of said resilient means to move said rotatable element to a second axial position in which said neighboring projection will be disengaged from the recess in said first lever and in which the recess in the second lever will be engaged by the other projection.

2. In a device for selectively moving either of two operating members of a gear shift mechanism from one operative position to another, including: a shaft; journaling means supporting the shaft for angular movement about its axis and for axial movement; said shaft having an end projecting beyond said journaling means; said projecting end having an arm; a hollow shell enclosing sai'd arm and with respect to which said shaft is slidable Within limits determined by engagement of said arm with opposite ends of said shell; first and second levers rotatably mounted on said projecting end on opposite sides of said shell; bracket means attached to said journaling means and confining said shell and said levers against axial movement with respect to said shaft;.a pair of projections rigidly attached to said arm at places spaced radially from the axis of said shaft; said shell having apertures for passage of said projections upon alternate axial movement of said shaft, alternate projections being retracted upon alternate axial movement of said shaft, at least one of said projections extending through its corresponding shell aperture.

throughout the range of limited movement of said projection in said shell; each of said levers having a recess therein for engagement with the adjacent projection of said arm upon movement of the said adjacent projection beyond the corresponding aperture of said shell and angular alignment of said adjacent projection with said recess; an operating lever coupled to said shaft for imparting angular movement thereto and axial movement at least in one axial direction; and spring means urging said shaft in the other axial direction.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,922,315 1/1960 Primeau 74 473 3,049,023 8/1962 McCordic 74-473 X BROUGHTON G. DURHAM, Primary Examiner.

MILTON KAUFMAN, Examiner. 

2. IN A DIVICE FOR SELECTIVELY MOVING EITHER OF TWO OPERATING MEMBERS OF A GEAR SHIFT MECHANISM FROM THE OPERATIVE POSITION TO ANOTHER, INCLUDING: A SHAFT; JOURNALING MEANS SUPPORTING THE SHAFT FOR ANGULAR MOVEMENT ABOUT ITS AXIS AND FOR AXIAL MOVEMENT; SAID SHAFT HAVING AN END PROJECTING BEYOND SAID JOURNALING MEANS; AND PROJECTING END HAVING AN ARM; A HOLLOW SHELL ENCLOSING SAID ARM AND WITH RESPECT TO WHICH SAID SHAFT IS SLIDABLE WITHIN LIMITS DETERMINED BY ENGAGEMENT OF AN ARM WITH OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID SHELLS; FIRST AND SECOND LEVERS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID PROJECTING END ON OPPSITE SIDE OF SAID SHELL; BRACKET MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID JOURNALING MEANS AND CONFINING SAID SHELL AND SAID LEVERS AGAINST AXIAL MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID SHAFT; A PAIR OF PROJECTIONS RIGIDLY ATTACHED TO SAID ARM AT PLACES SPACED RADIALLY FROM THE AXIS OF SAID SHAFT; SAID SHELL HAVING APERTURES FOR PASSAGE OF SAID PROJECTIONS UPON ALTERNATE AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SHAFT, ALTERNATE PROJECTIONS BEING RETRACTED UPON ALTERNATE AXIALL MOVEMENT OF SAID SHAFT, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID PROJECTIONS EXTENDING THROUGH IS CORRESPONDING SHELL APERTURE THROUGHOUT THE RANGE OF LIMITED MOVEMENT OF SAID PROJECTION IN SAID SHELL; EACH OF SAID LEVERS HAVING A RECESS THEREIN FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ADJACENT PROJECTION BEYOND UPON MOVEMENT OF THE SAID ADJACENT PROJECTION OF SAID ARM THE CORRESPONDING APERTURE OF SAID SHELL AND ANGULAR ALIGNMENT OF SAID ADJACENT PROJECTIN WITH SAID RECESS; AN OPERATING LEVER COUPLED TO SAID SHAFT FOR IMPARTING ANGULAR MOVEMENT THERETO AND AXIAL MOVEMENT AT LEAST IN ONE AXIAL DIRECTION; AND SPRING MEAN URGING SAID SHAFT IN THE OTHER AXIAL DIRECTION. 